Truss



Amal 2s, 1942. T. E. BROOKS TRUSS Filed Feb. 7, 1941 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRUSS Thomas E. Brooks, Marshall, Mich.

y Application February 7, 1941, Serial No. 377,780

y (Cl. 12S-1.02)

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in trusses.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an improved truss for hernia conditions effective to supply sustaining pressure to the affected area regardless of the position of the wearer, as in standing, walking, sitting or bending.

Second, to provide a truss of the foregoing clescription which is pivotal or lever-like in its action, fulcruming on the hip bone of the wearer, with means for securing the truss on the wearers body coacting with the lever member thereof to effectively apply the pad to the rupture area.

Third, to provide a truss wherein the need for leg bands, crotch straps, steel encircling springs, and the like is completely eliminated without diminution of the effectiveness of the supporting pressure applied to the affected area or maintaining of the pad in desired position.

Fourth, to provide a truss of the type described which is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, is compactly worn on the wearers body, and in operative position is free from the discomfort, chafing and the like usually characterizing trusses for hernia conditions.

Further objects relating to details and economies of my invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

A structure embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front perspective view illustrating the truss of my invention in the position assumed thereby when operatively applied to the wearers body, which is shown in outline in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in front.

elevation partially broken away illustrating details of construction and arrangement of the parts of the truss.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the pad and supporting and fulcruming arm therefor constituting an essential element of the truss.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the truss with the body band removed, looking from the left in Fig. 2 and more clearly disclosing the relative angular disposition of the parts thereof whereby the saine are rendered effective in the dotted line position for their desired functioning.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view illustrating f a further or modified embodiment of the truss including dual pads mounted and supported in accordance with the principle of the invention.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a truss for hernia conditions which is effective in applying a resilient supporting action to the ruptured area without the assistance of leg bands, crotch straps, or metal body encircling springs running from the pad to the rear of the body, or the like, all of which are highly objectionable to wearers of trusses because of the chafing and discomfort which they occasion and the varying stresses resulting from changes in position. All truss structures at present which do not utilize the aforesaid highly objectionable and uncomfortable body encircling steel springs rely on leg bands, straps, etc. for the application of the sustaining pressure. The present truss is anextremely simple device sustained on the body of the wearer by a single flexible fabric body encircling band which, in addition, coacts with 'a hip-fulcrumed support to cause the pad of the 'truss to apply a resilient upward and inward force to the affected area which is highly benecial. Aside from eliminating the usual leg straps, as stated, the present truss is extremely compact, free from body encircling or gripping members other than a single sustaining belt, light in weight, and easily applied and adjusted to exert the desired support.

Referring to the drawing, the truss of my invention is designated by the reference numeral I and has a body encircling belt or band 2 of material, preferably elastic or embodying an elastic section, the said band being tensioned about the wearers body to apply the truss pad to the aiected area in the manner to be described.

The reference numeral 3 indicates a pad of suitable construction, preferably a relatively rigid back piece or plate 3l provided with a cushion-like face il. The pad may be covered by a soft leather or rubber envelope if desired. Other forms of pad elements may be employed in the construction of the present truss, since the invention does not concern this pad per se, but rather the manner in which the same is caused to be applied to and supported relative to the affected area with an upwardly and inwardly sustaining force, regardless of the position of the wearer in sitting, standing, walking, bending vor the like.

The pad 3 is supported on one end of a leverlike supporting and fulcruming arm 5 which is fabricated of a suitable gauge of plated or stain'- This arching enables the arm to pass above and l follow the direction of Pouparts ligament, whereby to prevent the thigh, when the wearer bends as in sitting, from pushing the apparatus upwardly.

At the pad end of arm 5 the latter is flared' outwardly to provide a pad attaching surface 6 of substantial area which is secured by screws 1 to a boss 1I on the rear of backing member 3l.

,This disposes the pad 3 inwardly of the attaching surface of the arm but at the same angle thereto as the surface 6. The attaching surface has a button or snap stud 8. A suitable buttonhole eye member, snap element or the like 8| is provided on band 2 for coaction with the button or stud to secure the parts in operative body en- -circling position. Member 8l may be a part of an adjusting buckle S provided for adjustably tensioning the belt or band about the wearers body.

The arched end of the arm 5 remote from pad 3 terminates in a downwardly offset lever or torsion arm IU which is twisted or inclined relative to the arm, at the apex of the arch therein, in a direction away from the plane or inclination of the pad attaching surface or area 1, so that, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the arm and plane of the pad are in downwardly convergent relation, viewing the truss structure endwise. Arm I0 serves as a post to which the end of the elastic belt 2 is secured, the end of the belt or band being doubled on itself and stitched to provide a recess Il in which the post is frictionally receivable or otherwise secured.

In operation, the truss is positioned on the body with the bend l2 or apex of its arch adjacent the hip bone of the wearer so that the latter acts as a fulcrum for the device. For this reason, -K

a suitable sponge rubber or other resilient hipengaging cushion I3 is attached to the body band immediately adjacent the said fulcrum point. When the body band is tensioned by its inherent elasticity or by adjustment about the body as desired, the said tension is applied to the outwardly offset lever arm Il) to bias the same inwardly toward the body, with the result that a twisting leverage with the hip bone as a fulcrum point is applied to the pad supporting and fulcruming arm 5. This causes the bottom of pad 3 to be rocked inwardly and upwardly so as to apply a very effective resilient sustaining support to the affected area. This rocking fulcruming action is of primary importance in the present invention and eXists independently of and apart from the tension on the rod acting circumferentially of the wearers body.

By applying the upward sustaining force in the manner described, the complete elimination of a leg strap is accomplished. There are no spring or clamping elements, metal or otherwise, other than the body band, extending any further around the wearers body than the forward part of the hip bone and, needless to say, the uncomfortable clamping action which all spring metal trusses exert on the wearers body is completely absent. All trusses other than such spring biased structure include crotch or leg straps, which this construction completely obviates.

By designing the pivoting arm 5 to arch upwardly in conformity with the direction of Pouparts ligament, I assure that the pad 3 will maintain its effective upward sustaining action in any position of the wearer; thus, in a sitting posture the thigh is prevented from pushing the apparatus upward from the desired area.

Obviously, alterations in accordance with the requirements of different specific cases may be made in the degree of relative angularity of the pad and outwardly projecting lever arm l0; however, it is of the essence in this invention that the same be offset to a degree sufficient to project outwardly from the hip bone in operative position so as to be effective as a lever for rocking rod 5 about the hip bone as a `fulcrurn when tension is applied by the body band 2. In Fig. 5, I illustrate in solid and dotted lines respectively the relative positions of the truss structure before and after the belt securing the same is tensioned around the body of the wearer.

In Fig. 6, I illustrate a dual pad truss wherein two pads, designated by the reference numerals I 4, l5, are adjustably clamped on a common rodlike transverse support I6 which is integrally connected at its ends to the pivoting or fulcruming arms l1. Each of these arms has a lever arm IB thereon similar in structure and operation to the arm I0, and similarly positioned relative to the respective arms I1 and pressure applying pads. The application of pressure is controlled by the tensioning of a body band (not shown) secured to arms I8 and adjustably taken up in any suitable manner. This provides a very effective support in the case of a double hernia.

I have illustrated and described my invention in embodiments which are very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody and adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A truss of the type described comprising a rod of generally curvilinear outline in conformity with the contour of the wearers body, said rod having a pad attached to one end thereof for application to the affected area, said rod having a lever arm at the end thereof remote from the pad adapted for fulcruming engagement with the wearers hip bone, the lever arm being offset out wardly relative to the body in operative position of the truss and pad thereof to rock the arm about the zone of fulcruming engagement thereof when tension is applied to the rod and thereby pivot the pad inwardly relative to the affected area, and an elastic body band secured at one end to said lever arm and at the other end to said pad, and placed under tension when operatively encircling the wearers body said band applying tension to said rod and the connection thereof to said lever arm serving to rock said lever arm inwardly.

2. A truss of the type described comprising a rod of generally curvilinear outline in conformity with the contour of the wearers body, said rod having a pad attached to one end thereof for application to the affected area, said rod having a lever arm adapted for fulcruming en: gagement with the Wearers hip bone, the lever arm being offset outwardly relative to the body in operative position of the truss and pad thereof to rock the arm about the zone of fulcruming engagement thereof when tension is applied to the rod and thereby pivot the pad inwardly relative to the aected area, and a body band secured at one end to said lever arm and placed under tension When operatively encircling the Wearers body said band applying tension to said rod and the connection thereof tor said lever arm serving to rock said lever arm inwardly.

3. A truss for hernia, comprising a pad for application to the affected area, a rod including a pivoting arm supporting said pad, said arm extending laterally and terminating in an out- Wardly offset lever arm, said lever arm 1oeirlg adapted to engage the hip of the wearer as a fulcrum, said lever arm being eeetive when force is applied to the rod tending to tension the same peripherally of the Wearers body to rock said pad arm about said fulcrum and swing the pad inwardly toward the arected area, and a body encircling band secured to said lever arm and to the rod to apply tension to the rod and thereby effect said rocking action.

THOMAS E. BROOKS. 

